McLaren F1's Title Bias: Ethics Hold for Norris

McLaren F1 upholds ethical standards, reserving special support only for title-contending drivers.

McLaren F1 does not plan to designate a number 1 and number 2 driver anytime soon. Team Director Andrea Stella stated that he does not wish to alter the team’s operations despite the misunderstandings and controversies last Sunday in Hungary, when Lando Norris had to let Oscar Piastri pass after an engineering mistake.

“With Oscar and Lando, we are fortunate not to have to decide who is the number 1 driver,” Stella explained. “It simplifies things for some people, like me, and frustrates the entire team, our ambition, and our approach to racing, which is deeply embedded in our ethics.”

“We race fairly, and if one of the drivers earns a result on merit, it is protected. Perhaps if it comes down to the last two races and one of the drivers is strongly in contention for the championship, we might reconsider.”

Stella hopes that when that day comes, the number 2 driver will volunteer: “What I expect is for the other driver to come to me and say, ‘if you need my help with the other driver because he is contending for the championship, I am available.'”

“And I think you build that ethic if you manage days like that fairly, as I believe we did. It can fuel a lot of rumors and media speculation. That’s normal. It’s part of the competition.”

“To be honest, I enjoyed this week as a spectator, as a fan, when these things happened, even if I was not in Formula 1. It’s all fair in love and war. But acknowledge that we did what was right. And that’s what I want the entire McLaren team to realize. And, hopefully, our fans as well.”

“I should not have been given hope.”

Norris is confident that his cooperation with Piastri will continue despite this incident, which he believes should not have happened without a team error: “This is something we always discuss before each race, the trust we have in each other, the honesty we have as a group.”

“I think that’s what allowed us to catch up with the others so quickly, to perform better and develop the car faster. As a team, I think we have and have shown a lot of things among the drivers.”

“Whether it was Carlos [Sainz] and me, Daniel [Ricciardo] and me, Oscar and me, when things go wrong, we are there to help each other. Here, it’s a different day, it’s not because, strategically, something really happened and you let someone pass or something happens in that way.”

“I should not have found myself in this position. I should not have been given the hope of leading the race. I don’t think it’s fair. But of course, we will discuss it and there may be times in the future when things will go like this.”

“If Oscar led the whole race, I wouldn’t want him to… It’s not fair and I don’t think he should let me pass to win because I’m fighting for a championship. Maybe I will ask, maybe they will do it! Maybe he would let me pass. But here, the victory was his.”

“That’s what needed to be done. It wasn’t my race today. He drove better, got off to a good start and that’s it. As I said, it’s something we’ll talk about as a team and something we always talk about, something we know how to do and will continue to do.”